The Man at Work Collection
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With nearly 700 European and American paintings and sculptures that depict various forms of work, The Eckhart G. Grohmann Collection Man at Work at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is the world's most comprehensive collection of its kind. Captured on canvas and cast in bronze, the images reflect a variety of artistic styles and subjects that document the evolution of organized work, from manpower and horsepower to water, steam and electric power. The artworks span over 400 years of history (17-20th centuries).
The earlier paintings depict men and women working on the farm or at home. Later images show trades people engaged in their work, such as blacksmith, chemist, cobbler, cork maker, glass blower, or taxidermist. The most recent works are images of machines and men embodying the paradoxes of industrialism of the mid-18th century to post-World War II. These works, often commissioned by the factory's owner, are exterior views of steel mills and foundries surrounded by hefty trains and tracks or dark factory interiors where glowing molten metal is juxtaposed with factory workers and managers.
Most of the paintings are by German and Dutch artists, although others include American, Austrian, Belgian, Bohemian, Danish, Dutch, English, Hungarian, Flemish, French and Spanish.
The works were gifted to MSOE in 2001 from the collection of Milwaukee businessman and collector Dr. Eckhart Grohmann. This is the first art collection acquired by the university. The collection is on display in The Grohmann Museum on the MSOE campus.
